Gay Marie

Burrows

Gay Marie (Whetstone) Burrows of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, passed away at home on November 12, 2026. Gay was devoted to God, her family, and a life well-lived. A loving wife, mother, and grandmother, she was a shining star who approached every day with joy and curiosity. She shared that joy with everyone she met and will be greatly missed.

Gay was born in Montgomery, Alabama on March 2, 1942, to the late Lewis Clyde and Marie Whetstone. Gay’s laughing spirit and drive made her stand out and soon led her to a life full of adventure. She would go on to become a Tri-Delt at the University of Alabama, marry a Marine pilot and start her own family. She steered her loved ones through moves all over the country, making new friends and getting involved at every stop. She was at various times a photographer, violinist, poet, skier, teacher, competitive runner, and horse wrangler. Needing yet more out of life, she went on to earn a JD at the University of Denver Law School at age 42.

Gay passed the bar in both Colorado and Florida and worked at the law firm of Frascona & Joiner in Boulder, Colorado, serving proudly as a guardian ad litem for those in need. A lifelong lover of the arts, Gay was a gifted pianist, and contributed to the success of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, the Tuscaloosa Opera Guild, the National Repertory Orchestra, and many more. Gay dedicated much time and energy to her Episcopal faith, was active in her congregation and lifted her voice in every choir she attended.

An avid traveler, Gay visited countless countries, setting foot on all but one continent. The stories she brought back were just one aspect of her legacy: She made the lives around her richer through a broadened perspective and the understanding of what it means to be fearless.

Gay is survived by her husband of 61 years, Bruce Burrows; daughter, Emily Burrows; son-in-law, David Hitchcock; grandchildren, Sarah and Jake Hitchcock; siblings, Pat (Joyce), David (Lynn), Kenny (Christine) Whetstone, and sister Cherie (Wayne) Hutton and their wonderful, extended families. She was preceded in death by daughter Kat Hitchcock, brother Andrew Whetstone, and sister Jill (Bob) Reece.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Monday, November 16 at 11:00am at Christ Episcopal Church, 605 Lurleen B Wallace N Blvd., Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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“Horseback on Sunday morning, harvest over, we taste persimmon and wild grape, sharp sweet of summer's end. In time's maze over fall fields, we name names that rest on graves. We open a persimmon seed to find the tree that stands in promise, pale, in the seed's marrow. Geese appear high over us, pass, and the sky closes. Abandon, as in love or sleep, holds them to their way, clear in the ancient faith: what we need is here. And we pray, not for new earth or heaven, but to be quiet in heart, and in eye, clear. What we need is here.”

—“Wild Geese” by Wendell Berry